The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited applications for the post of national selector for the senior men’s team as the Ajit Agarkar-led panel lacks a member from one of the zones.
However, the announcement published by the BCCI on its website does not specify which current selector from the five-member panel would be replaced. The five-member panel of selectors is headed by Ajit Agarkar, who was appointed to the post last year.
The selection panel is made up of one member from each of the five zones which are the North Zone, the East Zone, the South Zone, the West Zone and the Central Zone. No coach can serve more than five years in the position which includes serving as youth team coach. The selection panel is headed by the member with the highest number of test limits among all members.
After Chetan Sharma’s departure last July, Ajit Agarkar was appointed president to fill the vacancy. However, his arrival added one more member from the West Zone. Both members from the Western Zone belong to the same association (Mumbai Cricket Association), with no one from the north. The other members currently on the panel are Salil Ankola (west), SS Das (east), S Sharath (south) and Subroto Banerjee (centre).
Ajit Agarkar’s appointment as chief selector was a unanimous choice
The BCCI might want someone in the committee representing the Northern Zone and one of the two men from the west might have to give way. The decision to select Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector was a unanimous choice by the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik and Jatin Paranjape. Under the circumstances, it was understood that Chetan Sharma had to step down from office after being involved in a media sting operation.
Applicants can apply before 6 pm IST on January 25. The BCCI will then screen the applications before inviting those shortlisted for an interview. The criteria for all applicants is that they should have played (a) a minimum of seven Tests, (b) 30 first-class games or (c) ten ODIs and 20 first-class matches to be eligible. The date of the interviews has not yet been decided.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has selected the Indian team for the first two Tests against England starting January 25. The team for the subsequent tests will be announced after the Vishakhapatnam test is over. After the five-match Test series against England, the next task for the Indian team is the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Currently, the Men in Blue face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series. They have won the first two matches and will play the third on Wednesday, January 17 in Bengaluru.
